


The Grey Warden's Guide

by lea_hazel



Series: The Grey Warden's Guide [8]
Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Corruption, Crimes & Criminals, Duty and Honor, Fictional Documents, Gen, Grey Wardens, Heroism, Moral Ambiguity, Redemption, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-18
Updated: 2012-09-18
Packaged: 2017-11-14 13:44:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/515812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lea_hazel/pseuds/lea_hazel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a Comprehensive Index of Fundamental Tenets and Expert Counsel from the Pen of N. Brosca, Grey Warden of the Fifth Blight, Slayer of the Archdemon Urthemiel, by the Grace of the Maker and His Most Holy Prophet Andraste, 9:41 Dragon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Grey Warden's Guide

**Author's Note:**

> These Noble Paragon Words Are Received with Honor and Recorded by Ansell Gottfried, Esteemed Scribe of the Township of Gherlen's Mouth.

**On Being a Grey Warden**

 

A Grey Warden's sole responsibility is to fight the Darkspawn wherever they may be. 

That which you can see, can see you too. 

A Warden's destiny lies in the Deep Roads; make yourself familiar with them before you must. 

There is glory in being a Grey Warden, but not as much as you think. 

Battle will harden you, but it will not be your final test; you may cut a swath through the Darkspawn and yet fail in your duty. 

You carry all the honor and shame ever brought upon our name by every Warden who ever lived; as you reap the reward of their courage, be prepared to vindicate their failure. 

Trust no one but your brothers. 

Every day in which there is no Blight is a day in which the Darkspawn tunnel ever deeper, in search of the sleeping gods that yet remain. 

Your brothers two still slumber beneath the earth, awaiting their calling, as you do yours.

 

**On Recruiting New Wardens**

 

Every enemy is a future ally, or a future corpse. The former is more valuable than the latter, but corpses have their uses, too. 

A dagger in the throat can kill an ogre, and a green recruit can do likewise; leave no willing warrior behind. 

A demon who fights the Blight is still a demon; recruit him nonetheless. 

More than one Grey Warden was found first within a prison cell, or a step away from the gallows. 

Seek not redemption within our ranks; we have better things to do than ransom your soul. 

Secrets and lies are a necessary inconvenience. 

The Right of Conscription is to be used sparingly; do not try the patience of your allies. 

Thieves, murderers, traitors, maleficarum: all can be Grey Wardens; cowards and oath-breakers are exempt. 

 

**On Allies**

 

The Wardens owe allegiance to all and none; all people, no nations. 

All nations owe allegiance to the Wardens; few will honor it unless pressed. 

In Peace, Vigilance; be wary of complacent allies. 

The Legion of the Dead are natural allies of the Grey Wardens; do not neglect their cause. 

The problems of your allies are your own; solve them, and you earn years of valuable loyalty. 

The problems of your allies are not your own; if they threaten the fight against the Darkspawn, don't hesitate to cut and run. 

Accept your allies' gifts of gold, armor and weapons, even if they are not aware they offered them. 

Be wary of being a messenger or lackey, but not of being called one. Your dignity is of little value to the cause. 

Good will is bought with deeds, not gold. 

They who most depend on you will also resent you most. 

Beneath your feet the fight against the Darkspawn never ends. 

 

**On Logistics**

 

Bury no weapons with your dead, lest their sacrifice be in vain. 

Sleep standing, eat running: the Blight follows always. 

Lean on whatever keeps you strong, be it Andraste's grace or the flask. 

Be glad if you love the starlight, for you will see it often. 

Respect is currency, but so is fear; do not hesitate to use the two interchangeably. 

Treachery is inevitable; if you have no stomach for games, you will find yourself playing and losing. 

Never forget to cut the wire first. 

Thieves will buy your armor; murderers will save your skin; traitors will obey your command; and the less said about maleficarum, the better. 

 

**On Precepts**

 

Compromise is valuable; killing is wasteful. 

Violence is a last resort, one you will find yourself using more often than not. 

Given the choice between dying to defend the land today, and living to defend the land tomorrow, you need not ask which one is right. 

Heroism is a luxury; cherish it where found, but do not depend on it. 

Charge forth, and others shall follow; hang back, and they will falter. 

Place your trust in yourself foremost, and others will soon learn to offer you the same trust. 

 

**Final Words**

 

I have stabbed the great dragon Urthemiel and ended His reign. Now it is my time to pass before my sleeping brothers beneath the earth, and soon I will be called to meet them. To you I leave a legacy of vigilance, for two brothers yet remain, and should they rise, it shall be your calling to slay them as we have done before you. Stay fast. I go now to die. 


End file.
